Yorkshire Walks

The busy A59 through Harewood village

We drove to Harewood village on the edge of Wharfedale on the busy A61 road from Leeds to Harrogate. We parked in front of the village hall - not much room but we all managed to fit in.

Today is the day for our monthly walk with a group of friends. This month Geoff is leading the walk and we are all going back to his place for a barbecue afterwards.

The track heading east out of Harewood village

The track heading east out of Harewood village

There was the sound of powerful car engines revving in the distance and after about 1km we could see the site of the Harewood Hill-climb where an event was in progress. Here (map ref. SE333452) the track turned right and after about 300m we came to the busy A659, Harewood Avenue road.

The weather was awful with frequent heavy showers and a gloomy overcast sky (just right for a barbecue!) We set off walking at about 10.30am across the main road and down a permissive path at the side of the Harewood Arms Hotel heading east.

One day I WILL get a decent shot of a red kite

Looking across Wharfedale from the track out of Harewood village

Sheep sensibly sheltering under the trees - we just kept walking in the rain

Fish pond at New Laithe Farm

Finger post in the rainy gloom as we joined the Leeds Country Way

We followed this track for over 2km heading southwards past New Laithe Farm and Hollin Hall until we reached the Leeds Country Way at map ref. SE338429. Here we turned right to walk along the Leeds Country Way to a minor road and then along the minor road to the A61 at map ref. SE325431.

At the road we turned left to walk along the road for about 200m. There was lots of very fast traffic and I was glad when we turned right off the road onto a farm track at map ref. SE335450.

On the Leeds Country Way entering the Harewood estate off the A59

Parkland of Harewood estate in the rain

Sheep grazing in the rain

We followed the track across the open pasture where most of the cattle and sheep were sheltering from the rain under the trees.

We crossed the road to continue along the Leeds Country Way into the Harewood Estates landscaped park land.

Heading east across the Harewood estate parkland

Cattle sheltering from the rain on the Harewood estate

There is a huge gunnera plant on the stream bank and nearby we found a large horse chestnut tree to shelter under whilst we had our lunch.

After just over a kilometer we reached a stream which is in fact Eccup Beck but here it has an ornamental bridge and a weir to create that creates a pleasant pond.

Gunnera by Eccup Beck seen from Leeds Country Way in Piper Wood

Sheltering from the rain under a horse chestnut tree for our lunch

Leeds Country Way in Piper Wood

Here the Leeds Country Way and the Ebor Way meet and we turned right to walk along the Ebor Way northwards.

After our lunch we continued along the Leeds Country Way for another kilometer to map ref. SE302437.

Leeds Country Way in Piper Wood

Leeds Country Way crossing Stub House Beck

Leeds Country Way near its junction with the Ebor Way

Jacob's Sheep and lambs at Holme Farm

From the turn it was about 1.5km along the track through the park land back to our starting point at the village hall in Harewood.

After about a kilometer we passed through Holme Farm and a few hundred metres north of the farm (at map ref. SE306450) the Ebor Way turns right to go along the south of the North Park where we saw a small group of fallow deer stags.

Looking over Wharfedale from the Ebor Way just north of Holme Farm

A group of fallow deer stags in the north park

View over the North Park from the Ebor Way

The Ebor Way heading east to Harewood village

The rain had only eased slightly between the heavier showers for the whole walk and we were all soaked. We drove a few kilometre back to Geoff's house. The weather did improve so that there were warm bright intervals between less frequent heavy showers and we were able to enjoy one of Geoff's legendary barbecues. Lynne, Geoff's wife had prepared an array of salads and other food to make the whole meal complete and it was a very pleasant afternoon indeed.

The Harewood Estate in involved in the breeding and release program for red kites and we saw several red kites cruising just above the tree tops between the showers but I was unable to pick them out in my camera viewfinder to get a decent shot, but one day I will. The whole route had been about 11km and had taken us three and a half hours to walk including a short lunch stop.

Just a few more meters to go back to our start in the village